Boost for renewable energy as Blyth firm merges

Tegan Chapman

Blyth based National Renewable Energy Centre has announced it is to merge with another centre to form a national champion for the development of offshore wind energy.

Narec will merge with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in a boost for the UK offshore renewable energy industry.

The move will see the world-class research, development, demonstration and testing facilities of Narec combined with the leadership, industrial reach and engineering expertise of ORE Catapult. It will accelerate the design, deployment and commercialisation of renewable energy technology innovation, helping to attract overseas investment and to realise the enormous opportunity presented by the UK’s offshore renewable energy resources.

Andrew Jamieson, chief executive of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, who will lead the combined organisation, said: “Narec and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult will together create a world-leading innovation and asset assurance business, serving the entire offshore renewable sector and returning value on Government investment many times over.

“We will play a leading role in ensuring the UK replicates the success of the oil and gas industries, creating many thousands of skilled jobs, contributing billions of pounds to the economy and ensuring that the UK has a major influence on European policy, funding and offshore renewable energy development in the decades to come.”

Andrew Mill, who steps down as Narec chief executive and will join the board of ORE Catapult as a non-executive director, said: “Integrating Narec’s world-class facilities and expertise with the ORE Catapult will create a unique and growing organisation, ensuring that regionally and nationally the UK is in the best possible position to capture the huge opportunity presented by wind, wave and tidal energy.”

Iain Gray, technology strategy board chief executive, added: “Combining Narec’s outstanding research, testing and development facilities with the Catapult’s leadership and expertise will create a single, powerful champion for the development of the UK’s offshore renewable energy industries.

“The Technology Strategy Board is committed to long term investment to promote technology innovation, drive down the cost of renewable energy and realise the enormous economic potential of the UK’s offshore wind, wave and tidal resources.”